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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · current · season · pop · mug · bowl · dip · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. degree — an amount
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pop — soda
  5. current — of water
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mug — a face
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mug — a cup
  11. season — in sport
  12. pop — to visit
  13. degree — temperature
  14. season — of the year
  15. current — happening now
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. dip — to sink
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pop — music
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. current — electric
  24. mug — to rob

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com